2017 has been an action-packed year, not just for the real estate sector but for the entire nation. While the structural changes and policy reforms (demonetisation, RERA and GST) shook up the economy, it imbibed financial discipline, accountability and transparency across various sectors. As per the statistics released by Economic Survey, the Indian economy is expected to grow at 7-7.5 per cent in 2018-19, eclipsing China to become the fastest growing economy.

The Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) project has now shifted into high gear as land allocations begin in smart cities that are taking shape on the ground, promising massive investments and job opportunities, and driving the Make in India mission.

The Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEF&CC) and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), as a part of their commitment to completely phase-out hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) by 2030 in India, have organised several national level workshops on implementing energy-efficiency and phasing out HCFCs in the building sector.

In recent years, disruptive forces have transformed how we think about entire industries. Spotify with music. Uber or Lyft with transport. Netflix with television programmes and films. Technology has changed the way that we think about things that we used to take for granted.

The first bundle of highway projects to be awarded through the toll-operate-transfer (TOT) route involving 10 stretches – six highways along the East Coast in Andhra Pradesh and part of the Golden Quadrilateral (GQ) – the busy Kolkata-Chennai route and the remaining four located in Gujarat, are estimated to be valued at Rs 6,000 crore, as per ICRA.

The conversion of Hisar airport into an international airport is progressing faster to meet the Centre's UDAN scheme to improve regional connectivity in the country. Land spanning 3,200 acre has been earmarked by the Ministry of Civil Aviation for the project, apart from the existing 196 acre Hisar airport.

The India solar industry continued its recording-breaking year with a cumulative 7,149 MW installed at the end of Q3 2017. A total of 2,247 MW was installed in during the period, up 300 MW from the 1,947 MW installed during Q2 2017, according to the latest India Solar Market Update by Mercom India Research. Cumulative solar installations in India stood at 17 GW at the end of the third quarter.

At a time when technology is disrupting different industries across the world, the consumer-facing property brokerage industry cannot be far behind. Real estate was among the first marketplaces in India to attract and justify professional brokerage services, and took off in earnest on the back of increasing need to connect renters and homebuyers with relevant suppliers.